Monoamine influence on neuropeptide gene expression during ontogenesis.

The present study aimed to check the hypothesis concerning the monoamine regulation of the differentiation of their target neurons during ontogenesis. For this aim, neuropeptide gene expression has been evaluated by in situ hybridization in targets for monoamines, differentiating peptidergic neurons, after monoamine depletion in rats during prenatal or early postnatal periods. In the first series of experiments, the vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) mRNA concentrations were measured in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of rat fetuses at the 21st embryonic day (E21) following daily (E13-E20) treatment with the inhibitor of the catecholamine (CA) synthesis, alpha-methyl-m(p)-tyrosine. Similar study was performed with rats at the 11th postnatal day (P11) after daily (P2-P10) treatment with alpha-methyl-m-tyrosine and the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine. In the second series of experiments, the effect of serotonin (5-HT) depletion by the inhibitor of the 5-HT synthesis, p-chlorophenylalanine, on the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) mRNA level in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) has been studied in fetuses and in neonates as described above. No changes were detected in the VP and OT mRNA concentration in the SON following CA depletion in fetuses, while similar treatment of neonates significantly increased both mRNA levels. On the contrary, the 5-HT depletion caused an increased VIP mRNA concentration in the SCN in fetuses but not in neonates. Thus, our data suggest a monoamine inhibitory influence on peptide gene expression in the differentiating target neurons during certain periods of ontogenesis.